From modern Turkish or Indian to Italian x2 (including alpine Germanic-Italian), where to eat in San Mateo County now… Read more →
Bay Area Overnights: Enchanting Coastal Ruggedness at 2 Michelin Harbor House Inn in Mendocino County
Published March 5, 2025, in my Medium column: The village of Mendocino is an enchanted, National Register of Historic Places Victorian village jutting out into the sea. About a 30 minute drive South of the town of Mendo is a sleep slip of a stretch called Elk. Not so much a town, although it was a major logging community in the 1800s,… Read more →
DISTILLER Bottle Column: February 2025
My bottle review column (last month’s edition here) is about what is unique, standout, new and/or trending in spirits with my review ratings on a 1-5 rating scale. My 8 bottle reviews of the month: ARTICLE: https://distilling.com/distillermagazine/new-release-roundup-february-2025/ Reviewed this issue:— Ten to One Rum (Caribbean)— Luxardo Del Santo Herbal Liqueur (Italy)— Dappled Tonic (Portland, OR)— NOOH by La Coste NA Wines (France)— Common Ground Gin (Berkeley,… Read more →
February Eats: 6 Standouts of the Month
Reviewed in this article:
—Intimate Michelin Star Spot Turns Two Years Old: Anomaly
—Better Than Ever Austrian Treasure: Leopold’s
—Peruvian Brunchin’ with Live Music: Altamirano
—Donuts, Donuts, Donuts: George’s Donuts & Merriment,
—A New Creperie: Bistro La Chaumière
—Ping Pong & Games with Solid Food: SPIN San Francisco Read more →
Bay Area Overnights: Prelude and The Jay Hotel SF
I relish an overnight in my City, never tiring of seeing it from different angles in all its endless beauty and complexity. I’m also glad when my media visits lead me to a place I’d recommend to visitors — and speaks a bit to my retro soul. Opened in November 2023, The Jay hotel exudes 1970s chic with a lean, clean Danish design aesthetic: Read more →
The Dream of the 90s is Still Alive at These SF Treasures: Gary Danko & Boulevard
Portlandia references may be old news, but I can’t help but hear the show’s Dream of the 90’s song in my head when I return to these two great restaurants — Gary Danko and Boulevard — that have been showing San Francisco how it’s done since the 1990s. Here’s multiple reasons why they’re still relevant. Read more →
Enclos: a new era for Sonoma dining
Healdsburg has long been the favored Sonoma town square, packed with charm, shops and great food. Over the 24 years I’ve been visiting, it has grown into a destination for world travelers and foodies since SingleThread opened in 2016. Earning one, then two, and eventually three Michelin stars, Healdsburg has attracted upscale resorts, hotel remodels, pricey condos and a chic reputation.
Alternately, Sonoma’s larger town square has remained steady, even old-school, the past 24 years I’ve visited. With Enclos opening December 5, 2024, in a cozy Victorian cottage a half block off the square, the town is set to change: Read more →
DISTILLER Bottle Column: January 2025
Published February 1, 2025, at Distiller Magazine, my bottle review column is about what is unique, standout, new and/or trending in spirits with my review ratings on a 1-5 rating scale. My 10 bottle reviews of the month: Read more →
French with a view: the new Bon Délire on the Embarcadero
Bon Délire debuted in October 2024 along the Embarcadero from restaurateur Kais Bouzidi, who owns Sens and Barcha. Whereas his Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurants are directly correlated to his North African roots and Tunisian father, this newcomer nods to his childhood on tiny Ile Saint-Louis, the island where Notre-Dame Cathedral sits in the middle of Paris. It also nods to his French mother, who ran a creperie. Read more →
8 Standout Baltimore Restaurants
Baltimore is Charm City for a reason: it’s deep hospitality and diversity, its rich history that plays out in architecture to waterside views, classic seafood houses and craft distilleries. I’ve been writing about Baltimore since my first visit in 2016 and haven’t written a dining update since then. As I visited and researched twice in 2024 to speak at a major drink conference and do research, here are my 8 top Baltimore spots to dine now, along with my latest bar recommends here: Read more →